Greer County, OK - Deaths: James A. Park and James Yandell, 1903
Tuesday, 16 Sep 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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PARK, JAMES A.
YANDELL, JAMES
(24 Sep 1903, Thursday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
A terrible tragedy took place in Sayre Friday evening, Sept. 18th, in
which two men lost their lives and one seriously wounded.  W. P. Price of
Bettina, Greer county, was standing at the bar in the Senate Saloon
talking with a few friends, his son Walter, was also present.  James Parks
and James H. Yandell came in from the rear room and called for something
to drink and were facing the bartender when suddenly Mr. Price drew a
revolver.  His son Walter tried to stop him from using it when it was
discharged and the ball passing through young Price's leg.  Mr. Price
immediately raised the weapon again and fired and Jim Parks fell to the
floor and died instantly; Jim Yandell by this time had started to run when
he was shot in the back the ball passing through him he lived till the
next day however persisting that he had no ill will toward Mr. Price
whatever in the past.  Mr. Price surrendered to the authorities
immediately after the shooting and the following day was turned over to
the sheriff and was placed in the county jail and a preliminary trial was
held in Sayre Tuesday before Judge Casady in which he was held to the
Grand jury without bail.  This sad affair started some time ago.  As near
as our correspondent can obtain, Mr. Price had some young men arrested for
disturbing a religious meeting.  Among these were Jim Parks and a brother
of Jim Yandell.  A short time after Mr. Price lost his barn together with
a number of horses, feed and farm machinery by fire, he caused the arrest
of some of the Parks boys and some of the Yandell boys and had them
indicted.  In the last Grand Jury for the crime, however, the boys claim
their innocence.  Mr. Price also claims some of these boys have repeatedly
threatened his life at sight.  The friends of the deceased claim the story
to be without foundation, however we are unable to say, but it is a very
sad affair.  All parties live in Greer county, about 12 or 15 miles from
Sayre.  James H. Yandell leaves a wife and James Parks was a single man
and lived with his parents and was well known to ball players along the C.
O. & G. as he has played with the Sayre team frequently.
(24 Sep 1903, Thursday, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Last Friday evening, in the peaceable town of Sayre, W. P. Price of
Bettina, Greer county, shot and killed Hood Yandall and Al Parks who lived
in the same neighborhood as Price.  Price also shot his own son by
accident.
As reported to this paper, the facts of the case are about as follows:  At
the last term of court Hood Yandall and others were indicted for burning a
barn of W. P. Price's but had not yet been tried for it.  About 6 o'clock
Friday evening W. P. Price and son, who is about 14 years old, were in the
Senate saloon drinking.  A screen stood between the door and the south end
of the drinking bar and Price stood close to the screen where he could not
be seen from the street.  His son stood close to him.  Yandall and Parks
entered the saloon from the pool room, and it is said, they never knew
that Price was in there, and when they saw him, they stopped at the
extreme north end of the bar and called for drinks.  When Price looked up
and saw them, he drew his pistol and took aim, and his own son, who stood
between them, knocked the pistol down.  The gun discharged and shot young
Price in the leg, making a flesh wound.  Price raised the pistol again and
fired, shooting Al Parks through the head, killing him instantly.  Yandall
then started to run out the back door, but Price again took aim and shot
Yandall in the back while he was running.  He lived about twenty-four
hours after being shot.
The saddest part of it all was when Parks' body was taken home to his
mother the shock was too much for her and she dropped dead over the corpse
of her son.  It is said that Yandal and Parks each had a wife and family.
Not a word was spoken by either of the parties before or during the
shooting, and no weapons were found on either Parks or Yandall.
After the shooting the front door of the saloon was locked and kept
locked, but hundreds of people passed in and out of the back door that
evening.  The next morning someone found a pistol with three empty shells
near the back door.
A coroner's inquest was held before Judge Branch at Sayre.
In both cases, C. A. Johnson of Oklahoma City, A. R. Garrett of Mangum and
D. B. Welty of Sayre appeared for the defense, and J. W. McMurtry and J.
C. Hendrix for the Territory.
(15 Oct 1903, Thursday, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
From the Mangum Star (Mangum, Greer County, Okla.)
The habeas corpus proceedings of W. P. Price for the killing of James
Parks and James H. Yandell on September 19th, at Sayre, O. T., came on to
be heard Wednesday at Mangum, before the Honorable Clinton F. Irwin, the
District Judge.  The Territory was represented by J. W. McMurtry of Elk
City, J. W. Culwell and C. D. Bennett, of Sayre, O. T., and the defendent
(sic) by Garrett & Garrett at Mangum.  The hearing was had upon the
evidence taken before J. R. Cassady in the examining trial at Sayre.
The defendent  introduced no evidence and the court granted bail in each
case upon the record made by the Territory, amount of bail being $10,000
in each case.  It is believed that Mr. Price will have no trouble in
giving bond.
Judge Irwin in summing up the argument briefly said no premeditation was
shown by the record of the examining court; that some sort of scuffle
ensued just prior to the shooting, and that it was not clear who the
aggressor was; hence defendant was entitle(d) to bail, which was allowed
in the sum asked by defendant's counsel, Messrs. Garrett & Garrett.

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